


Under His Gaze

by EllenofX



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Mind Control, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Not Canon Compliant, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:56:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15135584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenofX/pseuds/EllenofX
Summary: Caleb is a smart man. It is a fact that he is more cautious of now, with how far astray it once led him, but one that is undeniable. So, when a stranger wakes them in the dead of night, it does not take him long to figure out that he and his companions are being toyed with. That they have been toyed with for quite a while, now.---First chapter is incredibly short. Please consider it a prologue.Inspired by CatKing_Catkin’s “Traveling Hearts”. Essentially, I went, “Oh boi this is good!” and decided to take my own stab at it. POV will swap between characters, I think, but be warned: This isn’t beta’d or even edited that hard/well. I may go back and make edits at anytime.





	1. The Lone Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Traveling Hearts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14618751) by [CatKing_Catkin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatKing_Catkin/pseuds/CatKing_Catkin). 



> Welcome, step right in and watch your step! First things first, I add tags on a as-they-come-up-basis, because right now I'm writing hours (or minutes) before I post. So, please keep an eye on those! Also, thanks for giving this a look in the first place. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No chapter summary, we die like spoilers.

It was alarm that woke Caleb in the dead of night. The spell, not the emotion, though he had come to associate one with the other. The darkness was still and silent as he fumbled to shake Nott awake, mind muddled with the last vestiges of sleep and blind. The campfire had burned down to cinders hours ago, leaving only the palest orange glow to light the moonless night.

When she woke with a shout, flailing about defensively, Caleb quickly placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. A tense moment passed, the goblin is still disoriented before she calms, recognizing him even in the dark. Feeling, rather than seeing her relax, Caleb released her.

“Celab?” She said in a low and worried whisper. It has been a great deal of time since he woke her like this, having finally settled into the routine of having other people around to stand watch. He slept deeper now, she thinks, and woke less often from nightmares.

“My spell went off,” he explained quietly, “and I cannot see what is happening or where the others are.”

A pause, during which Caleb can imagine her peeing around and considering her flask, before she spoke. “I don’t see anything now, but I’ll go take a look. You should wake the others - or at least Molly. He was the one on watch. They’re all clumped by the fire, except for Yasha. She’s over by that tree.”

“What tree?”

“The tree with the - oh, right. You can’t see.”

“Ja,” Caleb replied, humor allowed only due to the number of false alarms they’ve had in the past, though he stills adds, “Be careful.”

“Always.”

He waited until he felt her weight shift then leave him before slowly creeping towards the others. The place where they made camp was not the best of places, rather impromptu and rushed after a wolf attack that drained their stamina and because night fell much faster than Caleb had predicted. As a result, he had to pick his way carefully to avoid tripping over himself or stray branches. He’s only a few steps towards them when a message pinged in his head.

“Caleb, I don’t see anything, but it’s awfully eerie out here. There’s a lot of mist and it’s awfully silent. You can respond to this message.”

‘ _That was awfully fast_ ,’ he thought, but responded with, “Okay, come back here then and help me wake the others. You can respond to this message.”

“Okay, Caleb, I will, but in just a moment. Maybe…” She sounded uncertain, “Maybe I do see something. You can reply to this message.”

“Nott, what do you see?” When she doesn’t respond quickly enough, he continued, “Please respond to this message.”

“A man, Caleb, there’s a man. I think he’s friendly, though, that he doesn’t want to hurt us. You can reply to this message.”

“My friend,” Caleb said in hushed shock, “You do not know that. Come back here immediately. I will wake the others. Is this man alone?”

“Yes, he is.” Nott said, “I’m coming back. You can respond to this message.”

“Good. Be careful not to be seen.”

The silence after that did not concern him, he was too busy rousing Mollymauk. Waking the tiefling was easy, but there was an irritating lack of urgency as he blinks the sleep from his eyes leisurely. Before he’s fully conscious, Caleb decided to move on, lifting a finger to his mouth for Molly to stay silent as he moved towards Beauregard, then Fjord. By the time he has sent the half orc to wake Yasha, the monk has already awoken Jester and Kiri, who chittering quietly into the night.

“Fuck you,” she said, only to be quickly hushed by Jester.

“What’s all this about?” Molly asked, finally standing. He spoke without any proper restraint of volume considering the circumstances, settling Caleb’s teeth on edge, and the wizard’s response is strained.

“I woke up to my alarm and Nott saw someone out on the moore.”

“Yes, I did,” Nott added as she entered the camp, “and he’s coming this way, not far behind me. But he’s unarmed and alone, I… I don’t think he’s dangerous.”

“With all due respect, Nott,” Fjord said, returning with Yasha, “Don’t you think it’s peculiar, someone just wandering alone out here?”

“I do,” Said a cloaked figure who was very suddenly very, very close behind Caleb, “But trust me, I have a very good explanation.”


	2. Listen to the Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Stranger tells a story and all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Welcome to chapter two, and thanks for coming.

Caleb struggled to recollect his nerve while Molly spoke to the newcomer with the same, all to casual manner he had earlier, “And what would that explanation be, love?”

Caleb was torn between being grateful and frustrated. He is not good at talking, he is good at thinking, and even then only most of the time. Furthermore, if someone else did the talking, then that allowed him to stay out of the center of attention. However he already knew something was wrong with the situation, something he couldn’t quite place. Why was Mollymauk acting like it was evening teatime with a man who had just seemingly apperated into their camp? Even Nott was acting strangely, her usual caution seemingly abandoned just because this fellow looked 'nice'. Not that Caleb would know, he was still blind in the darkness.

He was edging himself away from the stranger when the man finally replied, slinking closer to Fjord and Yasha in case things went south.

“Well, it’s quite a story, really...” The stranger paused, “Um, perhaps we could sit around your fire while I tell it? I can barely see you all, and honestly I could do with a bit of rest.”

There was a moment of silence as Caleb felt the rest of the Nein exchanging glances. He found himself envying Beauregard and her goggles, left only see silhouettes and the moisture of his companions eyes when it glinted in the meger light.

“Jester, you mind?” Fjord asked, and the wizard hears a sigh of faux annoyance.

“I use Thaumaturgy to light the fire!” She said, then, “I wouldn’t have to if it weren’t for stupid human eyes.”

“Do you always narrate yourself when you use Thaumaturgy?” Nott asked, adding, “And you’re not really lighting it, just making it get big again.”

“Yes and shut up,” Jester replied, “It’s close enough to lighting the fire anyhow since the fire had almost died.”

“Regardless, thank you dear.” The stranger interrupted, with a polite-if-pointed tone. In the new light Caleb could see him clearly.

The stranger was slightly taller average height, with a heavy, muscular build and pale skin. Too small to be a goliath and to large for any of the small races, Caleb could only guess that he was either human or elven in nature, leaning towards human. Despite his intrusion, the stranger made no motion to lower the long, brown crowl which obscured much of his head and upper body in fabric and shadow. His clothing was fine, finer then Caleb would have expected, and he wore what appeared to be a riding outfit beneath the swath of brown fabric. Caleb caught only a glimpse of his face and shivered involuntarily, glancing to Mollymauk for comparison.

“Now, where to start?” The Stranger asked, settling himself on a log beside the fire and warming his hands. Most of The Mighty Nien remained standing, though both Mollymauk and Jester sat, followed shortly by Beau, who perched on her seat lightly as if ready to attack. 

“Well, you see, I was riding my horse through the moors this evening when out of nowhere a pack of wolves set upon us. Nasty brutes, nearly twenty of them, each the size of a good hunting dog. My steed had just threw me, bolting as the beasts closed in on us when something else attracted their attention.”

“That was us, I think.” Beau said, her voice particularly disdainful due to one arm left in a sling from the attack as she stared down the stranger. They had already traveled quite a lot yesterday before the attack, and the sheer number of wolves nearly overwhelmed them. After a moment, she leaned back into her seat, and perhaps remembering her manners, she added, “It’s no big deal, though. We killed them all.”

“Really?!” The stranger exclaimed, and this time Caleb heard how performative it was. He edged even closer to Fjord as the stranger continued, hoping to mention it without attracting too much attention. “ That must of been horrible. The pack was eighteen strong when I spotted it, how did you all survive?”

“It’s sharp!” Kiri says, hopping forward and holding up her dagger. Both the metal and her black eyed glinted sharply in the firelight, and immediately three different sets of hands reached out with a chorus of the little kenku’s name. She cocked her head, blinked, and rotated the blade so that it pointed down, before saying, “Don’t stab people who are dead-dead.”

“Who’s this?” The stranger said, reaching out to pat Kiri’s head. For her part, the Kenku foofed out her feathers, hissing in imitation of a crocodile as his hand approached before falling silent on contact. She looked quizzical a moment, cocking her head in response to the touch. Her feathers smoothed as the man drew back, and she chirped a little, sheathing her blade before replying.

“I’m Kiri.”

“Well, hello Kiri. I am Lord Birati Amrit, at your service, such as it may be.”

“I am Lord Birati Amrit,” she mimicked, the lord’s voice disconcertingly smooth and velvet coming from her beak and drawing a delighted small chuckle from the man. Then she chirped, drawing her dagger again as she said, “I killed people.”

“Remarkable,” Lord Amrit said, “She’s a Kenku, yes? I’ve never seen one so young before.”

“Yes, we’ve… Inadvertently adopted her for a little while,” Fjord explained as Jeser called the child over to her, “Just until we find her parents. She was alone when we found her. Don’t mind her knife, she seems to like showing it to people.”

“We’re very bad influences on her,” Nott admitted, smiling fondly beneath her mask.

“Go fuck yourself,” Kiri warbled, crawling into Jester’s lab and peering at the group.

“Anyway, back to your story?” Yasha said, arms crossed at the very edge of the firelight. The rest of the Nein seemed to have relaxed, marginally, Fjord joining Beau to sit on her log. Caleb moved behind and to the side of the half orc, between him and the barbarian and where he might be able to see Amrit’s face.

“Yes. After my horse threw me, only one wolf came across me, fleeing soon enough after meeting the business end of my belt knife. I’ve been working my way home ever since, but it’s slow going. The trails through the woods here are maze like, and I keep finding myself stumbling onto this moor. Plus, I am travelling slowly, being both injured and careful not to attract the attention of the other mongrels on my way.” 

Lord Amrit gestured down to his soiled clothes by means of proof, and Caleb thought is strange that he had not noticed the filth previously before Birati continued, “When I came across your campfire I thought, perhaps, that I might find some good samaritans to guide me home through the night. You’ll forgive me sneaking up on you - I rather didn’t like the thought of a nobleman stumbling into the center of a bandit camp, you see. With the war and all it’s best to be careful these days, but if adopting lost Kenku girls is anything to base your character on I’m sure I’m safe.”

Birati looked appraisingly at the group, then, before continuing, “If you happened to be the good samaritans I’m looking for, I’d be happy to offer you a reward once we reached my residence.”

“What kinda reward?” Fjord asked, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the stranger, and Caleb realizes that he must trust Lord Amrit about as much as he does. It’s a relief, in some ways, but it also means that whatever setting him off isn’t just in his head.

“Your usual fair,” Lord Amrit said with a flourish, “Gold, or perhaps I could offer you my hospitality, a hot meal and a place for you and our horses to rest for a night or two.”

“Or maybe both,” Nott said with a chipper tone Caleb never heard her use in the presence of strangers.

“ _Nott-_ ” he began scolding under his breath, only to be cut off by the lord’s laugh once again.

“I’m sure we could work something out, assuming of course that you would accompany me. It looks as though you’ve pretty well made camp here already.”

“Yeah,” Fjord said, with exaggerated stretch, “We’re pretty set up for the night. Got our tents set up and everything.”

“It’s true,” Jester adds, “But maybe-possibly-maybe you could just spend the night out here with us, and then in the morning I could heal you and we could go over to your keep or whatever. I would do it now, but I already spent all my spells on Caleb and Molly and Beau today.”

“Well, I certainly appreciate the offer, Miss?”

“Jester.”

“I appreciate the offer, Miss Jester, but I’m not sure my wound it’s worth the effort. It’s barely a scratch, really, and it’s in some rather - private areas - you might say.”

“Oh, well. I'm not afraid of dicks,” Jester says in a helpful tone, and Lord Amrit freezes. Then hissing laughter comes from beneath his cloak. It’s much different then the laughter he directed towards Kiri or Nott, harsher and Caleb suspects more honest.

“I would expect nothing less of a cleric of The Traveller,” Lord Amrit comments after his fit has passed.

“You know The Traveller!” Jester is exclaimed delightedly, clasping her hands as she leans forwards in excitement. Kiri clicked her beak at the motion, slipping off and wandering the long way around the campfire towards Caleb. She pulled on his pantleg to get his attention, and without looking down he hears her mimic the sound of a cat purring, asking for Frumkin. Without a word, Caleb snaps his fingers, instructing the cat quickly to keep the child entertained and to stay with her.

“I know _of_ The Traveller,” Birati corrected, a small grin playing over his features even beneath his dark crowl. “A trivial difference, I suppose, but I still have never had the pleasure of meeting the fellow myself.”

“Just how did you come to know of The Traveller?” Fjord asked, his tone carefully measured. There’s a urgency there, somewhere, carefully hidden behind his accent. “Forgive my curiosity, but aside from Jester here you’re the first one we’ve met familiar with her god.”

“Ah, well, you see I own a small keep just outside of the next town. It’s a humble thing, but lovely, and it has been in the family for generations. I was born there, as was my father and his father before me, and-”

“Forgive me for interrupting,” Caleb says, the sharpness in his tone less well hidden in comparison to Fjord, “But how, exactly, does this answer our question?”

He is surprised by the ease with which Lord Amrit responds, not sparing him so much as a glance as he continues looking to Fjord as if they were never interrupted.

“Well, it is a very old building, Mr. Widogast, with a very old library in it. Old enough to predate some of the more stringent laws concerning worship, and I rather like to read, you see.”

The hair on the back of Caleb’s neck is standing up now, and he’s left frozen, staring at the stranger who moves smoothly back to his conversation with Fjord. 

“H-how…” Is all he manages to stammer out before he sees it, the strained expression in Fjord’s face that is quickly washed over by a calm, almost vacant look. Immediately, he goes for his component pouch, the nobleman turning to face him just as he brings his diamond out. He only has two spell slots left, his most powerful, yet he still worried that neither of them will be enough. Still, the chromatic orb found its mark with a burst of fiery energy that catching the other man off guard.

“Caleb, what the heck!” He hears Jester yell immediately, but then Beau is on top of him, efficiently pinning him to the ground. As predicted, Lord Amrit is pushing himself up, and Caleb feels his heart sinking as he realizes that there was no concentration for him to break. That, or Lord Amrit is a much more powerful spellcaster than he. Either prospect is horrifying as Caleb feels himself being pulled upright by Beau only to have his other arm taken by Fjord. He struggled automatically, knowing that either one could keep him grappled easily enough as Lord Amrit steps towards him.

There’s something magnetic about his eyes, Caleb realizes now that they are focused solely on him. Deep red, darker than Molly’s, drawing him in… It is only because of Jester that he isn’t taken in by the lord at that moment.

“Caleb, what do you think you are doing!” She burst, pushing in front of Birati in a manner that makes his victorious little smirk go sour for just a moment before he shakes his hand forward to grab her by the shoulder.

“I only just now meet someone who knows of The Traveller and you decide to try to kill him? That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Jester, dear,” Lord Amrit says, attempting to pull the tiefling around to face him, and Caleb saw that the man was unprepared for both how strong and how willful his friend can be. He manages to get her to make eye contact for just a moment, but Jester didn’t even pause before breaking it to shove an accusatory finger in Caleb’s face.

“Just a minute, Sir Amrit, I am yelling at my friend right now.”

“Lord,” he corrected with a click of his tongue.

“Okay okay okay, whatever. Caleb, what-”

“Jester, you have to run,” Caleb pleaded, finally finding his voice after Lord Amrit stole it from him. “He’s done something to our friends, some kind of-of mind magic. I realized it with Fjord. You need to go, get help and-”

All of the others are talking over him now, voices over voices, when suddenly one rises above them all.

“He what?” Caleb hears, only to realize Yasha is standing sternly in the back of the group, raising her voice for what Caleb thinks is the first time he’s heard outside of combat. After she speaks, there is a quiet moment before Amrit’s hissing cackle rises to fill it.

“Friends,” He said, voice suddenly as smooth as spun silk again as his eyes wandered between Jester, Yasha, and Caleb, undecided as to who was the bigger threat, “I think this is all just a misunderstanding. Please, let me explain.”

“Do not,” Caleb spat, “He’s just going to take advantage of your patience, you need to go - now! Leave me behind and go tell someone who can-”

“Caleb,” Fjord said, and it twisted in Caleb’s guts the way that he sounded, like explaining he was explaining something to a child, “I thought we had this conversation. We’re a team, you know, we stick together. Take care of our own.”

“Yeah!” Jester said, and Caleb got a sinking feeling as she cracked her knuckles, “Fjord is right, even if he is being mind-controlled right now.”

Yasha roared suddenly, and Caleb looked up to realize that while their exchange was going on, Amrit had focused his attentions on the now-charging barbarian. A moment later, a giant lollipop materialized above Lord Amrit, crushing down to hit only empty space. Caleb is jostled for a moment as Fjord and Beau both scramble to protect their suppressor from the onslaught of muscle and rage bearing down on him, and somehow, Caleb is free.

For a moment, just one moment, he considers just bolting on his own. But then he sees Nott, and though he does not stop himself purely for her benefit, it is her presence that reminds him of what he and these people have done together. While Nott, Fjord, and Beau corner their barbarian, Caleb tries to get closer to the two fighting tieflings. Jester is dodging clumsily, like somehow she didn’t expect Molly’s full wraith given the circumstances, but somehow - somehow Caleb is able to snag her arm and pull her away. A blade cuts through him as he does so, and he struggles not to cry out in pain. He needs to get her out of here, too. He can a least do that.

Behind him, he hears Fjord trying to reason with Yasha, not realizing exactly how unreasonable his position is. There’s the sound of impact, the crunch of bone meeting fist, and Fjord falls silent. Caleb tried not to think about it as Jester ran beside him, struggling to look behind as he drags her along.

“Caleb, what are we-”

“Jester, do you trust me?”

“This is not the right time to talk about feelings, I don’t think, Caleb. Molly just really-really tried to hurt me, I think, and I don’t know how to stop him without hurting-”

“Just answer the question,” Caleb demanded, “ _Please._ Do you trust me.”

“Of course I do!”

“Then I am going to open a portal and we are both going to go and get help, and then we are going to get our friends back.”

“I-”

“You cannot take Beau with magic and we are both out of spells.” He pointed out.

“Okay.” Jester responded. It sounded like she’s about to cry, but Caleb could not think about it, focusing on where to take them. They’re both running as fast as they can, meaning that Jester is pulling ahead just a little when he finally finds it and casts the spell.

One moment there was a portal, and he and Jester are going through it together. The next, Lord Amrit has Caleb by the throat. His concentration broke like so much glass, the dimension door vanishing just as Jester disappears. Caleb finds himself kicking at nothing, lofted in the air effortlessly by just one of Lord Amrit’s arms, which didn’t so much as tremble with exertion.

The wizard clawed desperately at the hand around his windpipe, choking. He has no choice but to stare, long and hard, into eyes the color of dried blood, and Caleb feels nothing but terror and desperation. The crowl has fallen from Lord amrit’s face and the only emotion he displays is a slight smile, not even parting his lips as he gazed at Caleb the way someone might watch an insect. He was dead, Caled was certain of it, that nothing could save him. But then he heard Nott yelling behind him, and for just a moment thought he had some chance at salvation.

Amrit let Caleb drop like a sack of potatoes, the impact jarring the wizard and making his joins hurt. He lurched forward, arms splayed to catch himself instinctively as Lord Amrit scoops him up again in one smooth motion. He felt himself pulled forward and up, arms pinned to his side as Amrit pulls him into a kind of dear-hug.

Caleb didn’t even know what it was that caused him to lose consciousness, only that he was shocked and cold and in pain as he watched Nott tremble, uncertain, over Lord Amrit’s shoulder. The little goblin met his eyes with a guilty glance, before she reached for her canteen, drinking from it deeply. Behind her, he can see the outlines of Beau and Molly standing over the other two, both unconscious. Kiri still stood by the campfire, still cradled his cat as Caleb’s world spins around him, feeling himself grow weaker in Lord Amrit’s crushing embrace.

Finally, a black oblivion takes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As ever, comments are much appreciated if you can spare them.

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, here I am again. I wonder if I'll actually finish this one? *Looks forlornly at the pile of works I STILL intend to finish even after more than a year of not updating*.
> 
> Your kudos, comments, and critiques motivate me to write. So. You know. Don't feel obligated to give any, just know that knowing someone out there appreciates my work makes me more like to make more of it. And, if you hated it or have suggestions, that just motivates me to work *better*. :-)
> 
> Thanks for reading. Take care.


End file.
